Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Health Literacy Levels in Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes: A Case-Control Study

This study aims to investigate the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and health literacy levels of pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes (GDM). Nutrition during pregnancy is important as it affects maternal and infant health. Mediterranean diet is thought to be beneficial in the management of GDM and other pregnancy complications. Health literacy enables pregnant women to make informed decisions about nutrition and health management. This cross-sectional case-control study was conducted in a training-research hospital between October 2023 and April 2024. The study included 100 pregnant women with a gestational week ≥ 37, 50 with GDM and 50 without GDM. Questionnaire form including socio-demographic characteristics, Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale (MEDAS) and Health Literacy in Pregnancy Scale (MHELIP) were administered to the pregnant women. In the study, it was determined that the mean MEDAS score of the pregnant women was 7.46 ± 2.18 and 58% of the pregnant women with GDM showed an acceptable level of compliance with the Mediterranean diet. The mean health literacy score was 81.18 ± 11.67. It was found that the diagnosis of gestational diabetes did not affect health literacy scores, but it varied according to pre-pregnancy BMI and employment status. In addition, it was found that there was a significant correlation between health literacy and adherence to the Mediterranean diet in pregnant women with GDM. It was thought that increasing compliance with the Mediterranean diet and health literacy levels during pregnancy may improve maternal and infant health.